"Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom" Albert Einstein

"A dame who knows the ropes isn't likely to get tied up." Mae West

Monday, January 31, 2011

Music Monday

50 years ago today, a HAM was sent into outer space.

What differentiates Ham's mission from all the other primate flights to this point is that he was not merely a passenger, and the results from his test flight led directly to the mission Alan Shepard would make on May 5, 1961 aboard Freedom 7.


4 comments:

Jon said...

Half a century ago? Why is it so easy to remember?

Catch Her in the Wry said...

Jon: It's hard to believe that much time has passed. I remember watching some of those video clips on tv back then. It was fascinating at the time.

white rabbit said...

I meant to ask - why was a chimp called Ham? Sounds more appropriate to a pig...

Catch Her in the Wry said...

The name was an acronym for where the chimp was trained:

Holloman Aerospace Medical (Center)